Chaotix Chronicles-Vol 1
by Romania Keller 29
Summary: My very first fanfic. :) The Choatix are running a cafe in Seaside Hill, and a mysterious figure begins to show up every night with no explanation. Is he/she homeless? On the run? Or is something more serious going on?
1. Chapter 1

Chaotix Chronicles-Vol. 1

The Lady in Red

It was a late spring night in Seaside Hill. Here, storms were few in far between. This night was one of those rare occasions. Team Chaotix was operating their detective/café business, and were open tonight despite the weather. They had made a decent amount of money while running a café in space while Sonic and friends battled the Metarex. And now that they were home, they were giving it another go.

Vector decided a few months ago to move to Seaside Hill, and out of Frost Cove. It was a smart business decision; Seaside was almost always sunny and warm, full of hungry beachgoers. Charmy, who loved the beach, was overjoyed about the move. Espio however, wasn't so pleased; the beach was crowded, noisy, and hot. Frost Cove was peaceful, cool, and isolated. Not that this mattered, once Vector's mind was made up, it was happening, like it or not.

Even with the storm raging outside, the café was relatively busy. Charmy was taking and delivering orders, Espio stayed behind the counter, and Vector played his piano. People were eating, talking, and laughing. In fact, the morale of the poorly-lit establishment was surprisingly high tonight. Customers gave Charmy praise, patting him on the head and talking to him. He liked the attention. Vector played on, chatting lightheartedly with a male customer. Espio, having nothing to do at the moment, was reading a book. He didn't talk too much, he didn't have to, and no one listened anyway.

And it was because of the buzzing energy in the bar that night, that no one batted an eye when a mysterious figure walked in. This figure bore a red, hooded cloak, so only her white muzzle was exposed. She didn't say a word, or look at anyone as she made her way to the counter. She took a seat on one of the barstools.

Espio didn't say a word, and tried his best not to stare. It was difficult, if she was going for inconspicuousness, she wasn't achieving it.

The figure kept her head down. After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke, in a rough whisper, "Water, please."

It wasn't a request. Espio nodded once and poured her drink. She impatiently snatched it from his hand, and by the time it took him to blink, the glass was empty. He realized just how thirsty the poor girl must've been.

By now, Vector had taken notice of the girl in the cloak. He was suspicious of her. He and Espio shared a glance, but their expressions gave completely different messages.

Vector's look was one of apprehension; Espio's was guarded, but not distrustful.

The croc approached the cloaked female. "Hey, Lady."

The figure didn't turn around; she only dropped her head further. Now, her face was completely invisible. Espio expression turned to one of nervousness; he worried about what Vector was going to say. This girl was obviously troubled.

"Hey, girl in the coat!" Vector called again, he assumed the girl was homeless, with the way she dressed and behaved, "Do you live around here?"

The figure did not respond.

She lifted her head without speaking. Espio was becoming somewhat unsettled by her behavior. Vector, however, was oblivious.

"Hey, did you hear me, Darlin'? We're not running a soup kitchen here."

"Vector, enough." Espio reproached, his voice sharp and full of authority. _That _caught Vector's attention.

It caught the female's as well. Until that moment, she had not heard the chameleon speak. His voice was… alluring. She wanted to hear it again. The corner of her lip twitched, hinting at a smile.

"Please sir," She said, her voice a little louder than before. She turned to face Vector, who was much larger than her, he was intimidating. "It's just water."

Vector, still unsure, nodded slowly, "Okay. Just remember: we're not running a charity, you get something else, you pay for it, understand?"

Charmy had since noticed the commotion and came over to see what was going on. "Hey," he greeted his teammates, "What's up?"

He was immediately interested in the cloaked girl. He cocked his head, "Who are you?"

She sighed, "Someone who needs to go." She glared at Vector and Charmy, but her hood covered her eyes, so they didn't see. She glanced back at Espio, and her expression softened considerably. She even tried to give him a smile, but she couldn't muster it up. Instead, she quickly and silently took her leave.

As the mysterious female exited the café, Vector gave a Espio a look. He was confused. "What the hell, man?"

Espio looked up, not saying anything. He shrugged. That was a clear enough answer- Vector wasn't getting one. He sighed, and motioned for Charmy to follow him. It was nearly closing time, and they needed to start cleaning.

The chameleon went upstairs after that, with the intention of sleeping. However, all he did that night was think, and he was thinking about _her. _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Such a strange group. _She thought while trotting through the alleyways. The storm had carried on through the night, even now as dawn was breaking, there was still a light drizzle. She was now in the Metropolis, and the city lights reflecting on the droplets created quite a beautiful scene. It was cold too, she'd thought. It was about 60 degrees, but considering she'd just come from Seaside Hill, it was cold to her.

That little rickety house made for a nice rest stop. The crocodile played exquisite music, the bee was adorable, but those things weren't what captivated her.

She'd always had a thing for chameleons, even as a child, when she'd had one as a pet. It would change colors when it was angry, or hungry. She had wished for a chameleon she could communicate with. And when she entered the Chaotix Café last night, it seemed her wish had been answered… sort of.

She tugged at her hood, trying to cover herself more, but it was no use. She sighed, and checked her watch: 6 A.M. She had a whole day to waste. She wasn't sure where to go or what to do for the next twelve hours, but she knew where she'd be when the sun went down.

The café was a little bit quieter that night. There were some people there, but it wasn't nearly as crowded, meaning Espio and Charmy could rest a bit from time to time.

Vector didn't feel like playing piano at the moment, so, he busied himself counting change. Charmy cleaned tables. Espio sat behind the counter, as always, not really doing much of anything. His attention was fixed on the door. A recurring question played in his head: _Is she coming? _

Vector and Charmy had completely forgotten about the cloaked female who had visited the café the night before. Vector just assumed she was a tramp, or perhaps, a runaway. There were lots of teenage runaways around the area for unknown reasons. They stopped by from time to time, usually not long after the parents had come in hoping to employ Vector as a detective to search for them. Since the group had moved there three months ago, they had returned many wayward kids to their parents. And, the runaways that they didn't "rescue", didn't usually come back either. It's not smart for someone on the run to stay in one place for very long. That being said, the croc wasn't expecting her to return.

She did.

She was quiet, sneaking up to the counter while Vector's back was turned. Charmy was in the basement, gathering supplies. Espio grinned, he wasn't sure why, but he was happy to see her again.

She felt the same, even returning his smile and nodding once. "Water?"

Espio complied, giving her a bigger glass this time. He wondered, if she _was _homeless, how she'd been getting food and water before-hand.

"So, what's your name?" The chameleon asked. He regretting it though, when he saw her mouth form a hard line, like she was uncomfortable answering. If she _was _running from something, that made sense.

He put up a hand, "Never mind, you don't have to answer."

She felt bad; it didn't seem like he was being intrusive, like she was being interrogated. He seemed… genuine. Besides, he couldn't see what she looked like, so it's not like a first name could hurt.

"Roman." She said softly.

Espio barely heard her; he had busied himself with wiping the counter so he didn't seem too eager.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"You asked for my name." Roman said, a little louder, "It's Roman."

"Roman," Espio repeated, _Wow, _"That's a beautiful name."

She let out a little laugh, "You think so? You know how many people have made fun of it? _That's a boy's name. _They'd say._ What a weird name. What was your mother thinking?" _

Espio was appalled; he thought her name was lovely, exotic even, "That's horrible."

Roman nodded, "I know. People can be so mean. In fact, you're probably the nicest person I've met so far, and I've been out here a long while."

The way she'd said it, it sounded almost like an insult. Espio made a face, one of discomfort, "That bad, huh?"

Roman, ashamed by her mistake, she hadn't meant it to sound like that. She sucked in a sharp breath, "Yeah. Most of the places I've been in so far, stores, whatever, are run by people like _him." _

She was talking about Vector, who was now staring blatantly at them. He was shocked to see that she'd come back, but was even more shocked to see her and Espio exchanging pleasantries, like they were old friends. It was… bizarre.

Charmy had also returned, and noticed the duo. He fluttered over to Vector, and the two of them continued to stare, trying to inch closer discreetly so they could listen to the conversation.

Espio chuckled at Roman's remark, "Vector? He's not so bad. Just a little acquisitive, that's all."

Vector wasn't sure what the word _acquisitive_ meant, but he had a feeling it was an insult. He huffed, and was hushed by Charmy, "You don't want them to notice us, do you?"

Espio laughed and turned his head to look at them, "Too late."

Roman beamed, she couldn't help it. _That laugh- it's so cute. _She thought. She felt a sort of… fluttering feeling in her chest, a feeling she'd never felt before. She blushed a little, feeling almost euphoric.

At the same time, she was frightened. These were new feelings, she didn't know what they were or what they meant, and she was afraid to question it. She didn't want to know.

Vector approached the counter, eyeing the female, "So, who are you? Where do you come from?"

She blushed again, but not for the same reason. Espio made her feel jittery, Vector made her uncomfortable, maybe even frightened.

She looked to the chameleon for help. He noticed, and responded. "Her name is Roman."

Vector snickered, "What kinda name is that?" Which earned him a glare from Espio.

Roman narrowed her eyes, her face stoic. Coldly, she replied, "Mine."

The croc, who had been intending to lighten the mood, laughed nervously, a bead of sweat forming on his temple. Charmy, who had been largely ignored by the trio, was growing uncomfortable, "I'm um… gonna go clean up that booth in the corner." He mumbled before scurrying off.

Roman didn't look away, she eyed Vector warily. Espio did the same.

Vector didn't like the way Espio was acting. It was almost as if this girl was turning his friend against him. Nevertheless, he turned around and walked away. He noticed the clock, and saw that it was closing time. And, as it was, the restaurant was closed, except, of course, for the girl.

The chameleon let of a sigh, feeling drained, "I'm sorry."

Roman blinked, "For?"

"That." He nodded in Vector's direction.

Roman shook her head, "No, no. You didn't wrong me; you don't get to be sorry." She smiled after she said this.

"HEY!" Charmy shouted to Roman, "Closing time, you need to leave!"

Vector grinned with approval at the bee. Neither one of them wanted that girl there any longer than she had to be, and were both eager to see her go.

Roman flinched, quickly glancing at her watch, "Oh no, I'm so sorry."

Espio grinned, "Don't worry about it, it's not like we have to sleep or anything."

She laughed, "Me either, one more thing if I may?" When Espio nodded, she said, "Can I get a muffin?"

"Of course." It only took a second to heat one up for her. He graciously handed over the bread, and her mouth was watering as she reached for it. She hadn't eaten in two days.

Feeling Vector glaring at her, she reached for the coins in her cloak. It was the last bit of money that she had. Espio, knowing he would receive hell from his boss for it, put his hand up to stop her.

He smiled sincerely, "Please, keep it."

Roman was taken aback completely, she wasn't sure if she should listen or not. She knew how much trouble her new friend would be in; Vector didn't seem very nice. On the other hand, she would be flat broke, she would have no way of feeding herself tomorrow, or any other day for that matter. That realization frightened her to the core.

Espio said, "Don't worry, just take it."

Roman felt terrible for doing it, but she quickly stuffed the muffin in her coat and nodded her thanks. She practically bolted for the exit, because she was afraid she would change her mind, and because she could feel Vector and Charmy staring daggers at her.

No one had ever shown her so much kindness in her entire life. As she opened the door, her vision started to blur, and it wasn't long before the tears came.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

By night three, the stormy weather that had plagued the seaboard for the last several days had moved on. And, from the looks of it, Roman had too. Espio kept his eyes on the door, while Vector and Charmy worked tables.

There were a few people drinking cocktails at the counter, so Espio had been keeping his hands busy. His mind, however, was a million miles away.

_Wherever she is, _he thought, _I just hope she's safe._

"Hey, fella, something on your mind?" One of the customers asked. His speech was slurred-he was drunk.

Espio scowled at him, "Why?"

The man shrugged, "Just wonderin', cause you been wiping that same cup ever since I came in.""

Espio looked down at the glass he'd been cleaning. Realizing that the drunken idiot was correct, he flushed.

_I need out of this place…_

Without a word, he slammed the cup down and commenced for the exit.

Charmy noticed him leaving, "What's up?"

"Nothing." The chameleon replied curtly, "Just give me a minute."

Espio stepped outside onto the front porch. There were two wooden rocking chairs there, and he took a seat in one of them. He knew he'd been acting a little out of character these past few days, especially tonight, and he wanted it to end.

_Why worry about her in the first place? _He pondered dryly, _There's nothing between us. She's nothing to me. A stranger._

But he knew full well that this wasn't true. During the past few nights, it had seemed as if Roman was reaching out to him, like she was seeking companionship. Trying to deny that he cared about her on some level felt like a betrayal. Both to her, and to himself.

Espio took a deep breath, and then let it go. He had never felt like this about anyone before. He was confused, lost. _What's wrong with me?_

He must've sat there for at least an hour without seeing anyone. He knew that if he hung around much longer, Vector would raise hell.

He was about to stand up, but then something-someone-caught his eye. He saw her come around a corner, by the gift shop, about fifty steps down the street.

Sadly, it wasn't Roman; this girl wasn't wearing a cloak. This girl looked like she was heading for a club- she was wearing a sparkly red party dress with matching shoes. She had makeup on.

It was nighttime, and she shimmered marvelously in the streetlights. She was attractive, Espio realized as she approached, _ridiculously _attractive. Her charcoal-colored hair swayed loosely past her shoulders. The tips were white, and she had a rose tucked behind her ear. She had a white muzzle and a cute, button-shaped nose.

She was approaching the café, her stride confident, like she knew where she was going. But Espio couldn't imagine that a girl like that would want to come to this derisory place.

He'd never seen her before, but she seemed to recognize him. She stopped, right in front of the porch, and gazed at him, a coy smile on her face. Her emerald green eyes twinkled like diamonds.

Espio was at a loss for words.

"Hi." She said, grinning.

Even her voice was captivating.Espio smiled back, "Hello."

She bounced up the steps, and looked at the empty chair next to him, "May I sit?"

The chameleon blinked, his expression blank,"Of course, be my guest."

She did, and then gave him a scolding look. "Shouldn't you be working?"

Espio glanced, wide-eyed- at the brazen feline, who was now giggling at his reaction. "How did you know I-"

"Oh, come on; don't you recognize me at all?" She winked.

Espio looked around, making sure no one was there, then he leaned in towards her, "Roman?"

Her whole face lit up. "My," she tapped his horn playfully, "you're good, you should be a detective!"

The two of them laughed.

"I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner," Espio said, "You look different without a hood over your face."

Roman nodded, "I hope you feel special, I haven't worn this dress out in months. But I wanted to look nice tonight."

"For me?"

She feigned a look of disbelief, "Wow, conceited much?" And cracked up. She must've noticed Espio's flustered expression, and said, "Yes, of course it was for you."

The chameleon let out a sigh of relief, then scolded himself. _Settle down. _

Roman didn't really notice his nervousness, however, because she was too busy battling her own. Espio, to her, was absolutely entrancing. A cool, enigmatic creature. She was drawn in by his bright gold eyes, and soft, mesmeric voice. She could imagine herself falling asleep to it, in a good way.

At the same time, his perfection was almost frightening. She was afraid she would say something wrong, and scare him away.

"I felt that," She began, shyly picking at her dress, "if we are going to be friends, you deserve to know what I look like."

Espio looked out into the street, "I'm glad you showed me."

Her head shot up, "Really? You like it?"

He nodded, "You look beautiful."

Roman let out a squeal, startling her new friend. Embarrassed, she quickly covered her mouth.

Espio chuckled, "What's the matter?"

She lowered her hands, she was beaming, "I think that I-"

Before she could finish her sentence, however, a bunch of rowdy drunken customers came bursting out of the café. They nearly trampled over the chameleon and panther, completely unapologetic as they did so.

Roman and Espio could've just ignored them, and they intended too, but then something happened that set Roman into a panic. Following the drunks was Vector, and he didn't look pleased.

He glanced at Espio, angry at him for leaving his post. But then he noticed Roman, and his expression changed, his mouth even curved into a grin.

"Well, well, who's this?" He asked, amused by the idea of Espio conversing with such a pretty girl.

Roman wanted to laugh too, the croc clearly didn't recognize her, and he was in for shock. "I'm Romania Belle, Mr. Crocodile. You can call me Roman."

(That's the end of this chapter, I don't usually do romance all that well, so you're going to have to bear with me. xD I know there seem to be a lot of gaps in logic here, and Roman may seem a bit like a Mary-Sue (she's not, don't worry). Just hang in there, and your questions will be answered in due time. In the meantime- thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing, ect. I appreciate it tremendously, and will be posting new chapters as soon as time permits. Bye. :D )


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

(Sorry guys, it took me _forever_ to get this chapter together, I had no idea what direction I wanted to take it in. I hope you enjoy it! A big thanks to all of you who have left reviews on my story thus far, I appreciate it so much. Anyway, let's get started.)

"I don't dislike you, Roman." Said Vector, "I never did, but you have to understand, I just don't have the funds to support every homeless person in Seaside."

Espio had gone back inside to help Charmy close up, leaving Vector and Roman alone. She was more than a little disheartened by his departure, not to mention frightened at the idea of being alone with Vector.

Roman nodded, her gaze transfixed on a flickering street light, "Yes, I understand."

"I don't get it, you've been acting like a homeless person, but," his eyes scanned over her, "you certainly don't look like one. Not tonight, anyway."

"I've been spending my days in a small shelter in the city. Nothing fancy, just a place to eat, shower, and store a few personal items. It's okay, but I prefer being out and about among the townspeople."

Vector shook his head, "Wait, if they have food, what do you keep coming here heart-in-hand for?

"Because," She replied, "their food is atrocious."

Vector laughed, "Well, that's not very nice. By the way, I've got to thank you for turning Espio into a hypocrite."

Roman's smile disappeared, "I beg your pardon?"

Vector's grin didn't waver, "He would get angry when I would agree to do jobs for free. He'd say "We're losing money. Why are we taking jobs with no reward?" And now, I can use you as my excuse."

"You do jobs for free? Where does your profit come from?"

"Profit?" Vector hooted, "That's a good one! We haven't made any sort of profit in a long time… that's why I set this café back up; our detective agency wasn't paying the bills."

The panther was dumbfounded. "Oh wow, it appears I've misjudged you, majorly. I was under the impression that you were some greedy bastard. I'm sorry."

"Let's call a truce." Vector proposed, offering his hand, "What do you say?"

She took it, his enormous hand engulfing her tiny one, "I accept."

Espio had fallen asleep at one of the tables before he could even get the place cleaned up. Charmy had abandoned him even earlier, going to his own bed.

The chameleon awoke to the smell of coffee. He shook his head and looked around. Everything had been put away, except for the table he was sitting at. The regular furniture, including Vector's desk and the couches, had been brought out.

Espio shot up out of his chair, and was about to put the table away, when he heard the tapping of tiny feet. He looked over and saw Roman, with her hair braided and a coffee mug in her palm. She was wearing glasses.

"Hello." She said, her soft voice alluring as ever. Her expression was one of smugness and shy amusement, "I wondered why you never came back outside, now I know why."

Espio didn't respond. He stood there silently for what must've been a full sixty seconds. It was starting to freak Roman out, when he asked, "What are you doing here?"

The panther smirked, "Vector and I had a lengthy chat, which ended in a compromise of sorts. He wants to see if I'd make a good detective. If I can help you guys crack a case, I can stay here permanently.

"Woah… hold up, you'll be staying here with us?" _I'll have to speak with Vector. Where did all of this come from? _

Roman seemed confused, "Yes, that's okay with you, isn't it?"

"Of course," the chameleon said in a rush, "I'm just a little confused. Just yesterday Vector was trying to chase you away."

"Yes," said Roman, "it was a major misunderstanding that has since been resolved. He and I are on good terms now. He was hoping that you and I could "team up", you know? When Vector takes a case, you and I could work together; you can show me how you guys operate."

Espio nodded, a bit overwhelmed by all the information. He wished it could've waited until his brain was fully functional.

Roman could see he was still half-asleep, and found his erratic behavior adorable. She held out her cup and giggled, "I haven't drunk out of it yet, and I think you need it more than I do."

The chameleon took it and slid past her, "Excuse me. I need to speak with my boss."

"Oh, chill out," Vector groaned, "the girl needed a place to stay, so I offered her one. And besides, now you have a friend who won't drive you batshit crazy."

Espio cocked his head; he wasn't amused, although Vector clearly was. "Look, I just don't understand where this change of heart came from."

Vector shrugged, "I felt bad, I couldn't just chase her off after she'd gone to the trouble of introducing herself to us. What was I supposed to do? _Oh, well, that's nice of you to go to all that trouble, but I don't care about your problems. Goodbye. _Come on, I'm not a monster."

Espio let out a pained sigh, "No, you're not hearing me… Never mind. Do we have a case today or something?"

The croc eyed him, "How did you know?"

"You're awfully cheery."

"Yeah, and you're fidgety. That's not really like you, what's the deal?"

Espio looked to the doorway to the living room, where Roman was reading a book that she had pulled off of their shelf, "Well, we have a new house guest that I knew nothing about until five minutes ago."

"It's not a sure thing yet. Besides, she needs friends, and I could use an extra set of hands. What's the problem?"

The chameleon rolled his eyes before heading for the back door. He needed air.

_A new partner, huh? I'm not sure how I feel about this. She seems okay, though… how bad can it be? _

(I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I think I'm going to end the first volume here, because there isn't really anything else I can do without spreading the story too thin. Yeah, I know the ending was a little rushed and contrived, but I did the best I could. :3 Anyway, I'll try to get new stories posted on a more regular basis from now on, and I'm hoping that they'll be longer than this one. Thanks for reading, Happy Holidays.)


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